


Fancy a Drink?

by Staleina



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: DAIMP Characters, Drinking & Talking, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 06:17:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4380455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Staleina/pseuds/Staleina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hall finally convinces some of the other Inquisition agents to join him for a drink at the Tavern.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fancy a Drink?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calypsid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/calypsid/gifts).



> This is to fulfill a prompt for my friend Calypsid. :)

The soft sound of clinking glass came from behind the bar as Cabot cleaned the bottles and lined them back up on the shelves. He sighed contentedly to himself; with the Charger’s out on a mission, and Sera off with the Inquisitor, it meant Herald’s Rest could be in for a quiet night, and by the Stone did he ever need one.

The smell of Molly’s fresh bread enveloped the tavern, along with the scent of thick lamb stew and chocolate being melted for a mud cake. Cabot had never met anyone that could cook and bake as well as that dwarven woman and he was glad that she’d decided to stay in his employ. He’d never tell her as much of course; that would risk her asking for a raise, and he could hardly afford her as it was. Not if he ever wanted to be able to afford a proper bar for the place rather than using tables that could be used to sit more patrons instead.

He wiped the metal plaque of the great bear trophy head on the wall until it shined before he walked around to check how well his waitress Elissa had tidied the tables. She was new and had a lot of learning to do, but she would have to do. His last waitress had decided to run off with an Avvar warrior. She’d taken one look at his barrel chest and was out of her skirts and into his furs before Cabot could clean up the beer she’d spilled on the floor in the process.

Ever since then it had been hard to find one that could handle the rowdy bunch that would come into Herald’s Rest nor would be intimidated by all the battle worn patrons that wandered in. He was already taking bets on how long this one would last, and by her shoddy cleaning work and the fact he’d have to tell her to sweep the floors again, he didn’t give her long.

It was then that he heard the familiar creak of the front door as a customer stepped in.

“Welcome to the - oh, it’s you. Hello, Hall.” Cabot tossed the rag over his shoulder and gave the man a nod.

Hall offered his usual timid and kind smile in return. “Hello, Ser Cabot. It’s a nice evening isn’t it?”

Cabot brushed down the surface of a table between the bar and the entrance. “Sure, if you like snow on your boots.” He gestured for Hall to take a seat. “What’ll you be having today?”

“Just some stew and a glass of water for now, if that’s alright. A few friends are coming to join me. I wouldn’t want to be too far in the drink before they get here.”

“Wise decision, kid.” Cabot gestured for Elissa to get Hall his order while he fetched him his water.

“So you finally convinced some of the others to join you for a drink then?”

“Seems so, I do hope that they come.” He nodded his thanks to the dwarf as he took his glass, sipping it absentmindedly, brows stitched as if he doubted they would.

Cabot hoped they’d show; he could do with the gold, and a few more patrons like Hall were always welcome. The kid was always well-behaved and paid his tab without a bother. He wasn’t a bad sort either, and he could use some friends. He always seemed nervous and out of place, particularly the louder things got in the tavern, which was when he’d usually make his way out the door.

Cabot noted that it looked like Hall had put some effort into looking nice; his face was cleanshaven, his clothes clean and his leather boots looked as if he’d shined them, it would be a shame if he’d put all that effort in for nothing.

It wasn’t long before Elissa came out with a bowl made out of bread and filled with stew, a fancy idea that Molly had come up with one day for her special patrons. Though Cabot suspected it helped reduce the amount of dishes she and Elissa had to clean each night as well as use up any bread that was going stale.

Hall had made it halfway through his stew when the creak of the door was heard again. He had stopped mid bite to look at who had entered, catching sight an Avvar and an oddly dressed elf. The archer stood up to greet them, nearly knocking over his bread-bowl and spilling his stew. “You came!”

“Yes, as we agreed. Do humans usually not do the things they say they will?” mused Cillian.

Skywatcher shook his head as he walked past them to get closer to the bar, his eyes scanning over the shelves and the open crates. “Cabot, have you finally stocked some of that good old Avvar mead I told you about yet? I’ve half a mind to go fetch it myself if you take any longer.”

“I have it on order, it’ll be another week before it gets here, Amund.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to settle for that dwarven ale of yours, for all the good that’ll do me.” With a look of disappointment, the giant of a man turned to join Hall at his table, the wood of his seat creaking under him as it shifted to bear his weight.

“I have yet to try a dwarven ale, I suppose that could be interesting,” Cillian announced.

“You aren’t missin’ anything, I can assure you of that,” grumbled the hunter, Thornton, who strided in behind them. He approached Hall’s table without hesitation or ceremony and slipped his backpack off of his shoulder and onto the back of a chair closest to the wall and across from Cillian. Once he was settled in, he called to Cabot to grab him an Orlesian ale and tossed his large brimmed hat onto the table.

Cabot looked at the group. So far they looked manageable; Skywatcher, Thornton and Cillian had never caused him problems in the past, other than Skywatcher constantly stating that dwarven ale tasted like goat's piss. It looked as if he was correct in his assumption that Hall would make reasonable friends. So far, so good.

As he walked back with their drinks and set them on the table, he heard the door again. This time, it was the Katari that stepped through with that mage friend of his, Rion; the one that never shut his trap about mage freedom and would earn himself a swift kick in the ankle if he ever spouted anything about the Chantry explosion being a reasonable act against mage oppression again. _He had to make friends with that one, didn’t he…._

Behind them Isabela and Belinda entered, the last of the anticipated troop to step through the door. Belinda was always a pleasure, but the other...she was always trouble. At least she drank enough that Cabot was well on his way to buying himself that new bar he wanted, not to mention could keep other patrons of his entertained.

A smile was plastered across Isabela’s face as she sauntered into the tavern. “I told you I’d get her out of that armor before any of you.” She waited for the boys to all turn and look before she gestured the Inquisition templar to step forward. “Come on, let them get a good look at you, kitten.”

Belinda Darrow came out from where she had been hiding behind Isabela, a faint blush blooming on her cheekbones. The light maiden’s gown she wore in place of her usual armor accented her waist and her chest, revealing a figure which was typically hidden behind thick slabs of plate metal. Even Cabot caught himself admiring the woman, though she was entirely too tall for his tastes, which consisted of the short and sturdy variety.

Isabela gave her a nudge to keep her moving, her eyes glistening with mischief as she noted the looks some of the men gave the templar, while Belinda moved to find herself a seat directly across from Hall, her hand shooting up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she sat down. She was clearly unaccustomed to wearing her hair loosely the way Isabela had arranged it, leaving her light red tendrils to frame her freckled face and tumble down onto her back.

Hall had practically choked on his water mid gulp, his hands trembling and eyes wide as he looked at her when she sat so close to him. Skywatcher eyed him oddly, “Best put yer cup down before you spill that drink of yours, my little friend. Have you caught a bit of a chill? Your hands are shaking. ”

“Don’t be fooled,” Rion griped to no one in particular, clearly disgruntled that Belinda had even come. “It doesn’t matter what she’s dressed in. She’s still a templar, and as always I can’t go anywhere without one watching my every move.”

“I didn’t come here to keep an eye on you, Rion. I’ve only come to spend a lovely evenin’ with friends. I do hope you can understand that.

“Riiiight, I believe you.” With that, Rion walked off to get himself a drink and put some room between himself and Belinda.

As the night went on, more patrons trickled in, people moved from eating food and drinking, to strictly drinking. The noise levels were rising, but that did not prevent Cabot from overhearing Rion shout “I could drink you two under the table any day!” to Skywatcher and Katari, the three of them having been standing by the fireplace, which only helped accentuate the fact that the mage seemed miniscule in comparison to the other two.

Isabela had heard him as well, even from her place at the table by the fact that her laughter resounded through the tavern before she shouted “Oh, I’m going to love watching this!” Cabot sighed. _So much for having a quiet night…._

The sound of wood scraping against wood caught Isabela’s attention and she turned her eyes to see Katari moving a second table to join theirs. Of course, she didn’t make a move to get up to help him., It was far too pleasing to watch his muscles ripple under his dark skin while he lifted it and he obviously didn’t need any form of assistance. _Imagine the things he could do with those. He could hold me up against a wall any time._

Isabela couldn’t hold back the grin that was forcing itself across her face; the idea of the little mage boy trying to show how manly he was by attempting to outdrink men that were easily three times his size was far too amusing. There was no way she was going to miss this.

“We’d love to see you try, little friend,” Skywatcher replied, before turning to Cillian, Hall, and Thornton. They were contentedly sipping their ale at the end of the table closer to the wall. “What about you three, will you be joining in this challenge?” Skywatcher asked.

Thornton moved his hat out of the way as the waitress placed more tankards on their table. “You can do whatever you want, but I’m too old for that shit.”

“I as well, but I would like to see him try,” Cillian stated while he tipped his head towards Rion.

Hall shook his head and gave Skywatcher an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t fair well.”

“Afraid that we’d end up seeing your wild side? It’s usually the timid ones you have to worry about, all shy smiles in public but wild behind closed doors...” Isabela winked to Hall, which only made him look away and tuck his head down, as if he was pretending she hadn’t said anything at all. _That’s odd, the shy ones usually either blush or at least reply with a stammer… he’s acting like I hit on him in front of his mother._

Those who had decided to participate in the drinking contest all moved to the second table, as did Isabela to help judge the whole affair. She conveniently placed herself next to the Katari. “I vote that the first one to pass out gets to clean the blood off our boots after our next mission,” she jested while sliding herself closer to the massive Qunari so that the side of her thigh pressed against his.

It only took a few rounds for Rion to start slurring his words, while Skywatcher and Katari laughed at his expense.  “What're you laugh’n at? I can do this aaaaall night. Just...just you watch -hiccup-.”

The two larger men were getting progressively more jovial while entering into arm wrestling competitions and other minor displays of strength. Rion simply became louder and more obnoxious with each round. Katari bragged about his days as a mercenary, Skywatcher spoke of his Lady of the Skies, and Rion ranted about life in the Circle.

Cillian and Thornton shook their heads at them and continued discussing some of their travels, as well as various gardening tips they’d learned over the years. Meanwhile, Belinda slowly sipped a glass of cider as she explained templar training to Hall, who nervously fidgeted with the handle of his tankard while he listened, unable to keep his eyes off of her except when she looked directly at him. When that happened he either looked away suddenly, or took a giant gulp of his drink.

“I’m telling you, mages have a high...higher tolerance for alcohol. You, you just don’t know, magic helps us metamobolize--metabolize it.”

“Oh really? That magic draws demons but dulls the drink? Sure thing, kid.” Katari smirked, setting the next round of drinks down in front of them. As he sat back down, Isabela found herself slipping her hand onto his thigh while she leaned in front of him to grab herself a tankard, ensuring that every bit of her body could conveniently brush against his.

The strong arm she felt slide around her waist suggested he didn’t mind her advances one bit; the fact that his hand pulled her even closer towards him sent a shiver up her spine. _Now that’s what I’m talking about._

“You don’t believe me? I’ll show you! I’m so sober I can use my magic to run up walls!”

At that, Belinda’s mouth snapped shut and her eyes darted to Rion, only to see him already standing with a look of pure determination on his face as he began running straight at the taverns wall.

“Rion, STOP! You’re going to hurt ye’self!!” she shouted, but it was already too late. He only made it three strides up the wall before he went crashing down onto the floor with a clang and a thud. Having not had the foresight to put his drink down before attempting to prove to everyone he was a wall climber, he not only found himself flat on his back in front of a tavern full of people, but covered in ale, groaning in pain.

“Looks like that theory of yours didn’t _quite_ work out, sweet thing,” Isabela giggled before turning, only to see Belinda jump to her feet within seconds and rush to Rion’s aid, leaving Hall with a confused look on his face. “He’ll be fine, kitten. He’ll just have a headache in the morning. It’ll serve him right too, thinking he can run up walls...ha! Even I can’t do that, and I’m as agile as they come.” With that, she nudged the Katari and gave him a wink.

“I’m so sorry, are you alright, Rion? Should we take you to the healers?” Belinda kneeled down beside him, her hand going to check his forehead as she looked over the rest of his body to check for injuries.

“You smited me didn’t you!!!”

“I did no such thing!” Her voice was strained, as if she was offended. “You’ve just had a wee bit too much to drink is all.”

“Templars, always trying to bring us mages down….ruining all the fun.” Rion groaned while trying to pull himself up by using a nearby chair, only to fail and have the chair fall back onto him and smack him in the face. “OW!”

Isabela sighed and looked to Skywatcher. “Big boy, do you mind giving him a hand? Might be time to tuck him in before Cabot throws us out.”

Amund nodded, pushed himself up and headed over to Rion. It only took him a moment to grab the man by the arm, haul him over his shoulder and head out the door. “Let’s go, little mage friend. You’ve got a long nights rest waiting for you.”

Belinda stood back up on her feet and brushed off her dress “I’m going to go help make sure he’s alright. I’ll be back as quick as I can. I’m so sorry about all this, I should have known better than to let him drink.”

“I admire your want to protect him and you should see to him if it will ease you mind. But you must remember that you are both in the Inquisition now, not the Circle of Magi, he is no longer your charge, da’len.” Belinda nodded to Cillian before she followed Skywatcher out the door.

“Looks like he’ll be the one cleaning up our boots for awhile,” Isabela joked, wanting to ease up the seriousness that had suddenly hit the table like a sack of bricks. She looked over the group, seeing Cillian turn his attention back to Thornton to continue their discussion about cabbages and Hall looking crestfallen.

“What’s gotten your knickers in a knot? You looked perfectly happy a moment ago.” _If I didn’t know any better, I would think that someone just stole his favorite cake._

“I, I ah, nothing. I’m just hoping he’s alright is all.”

“He’s probably sad that lady friend of his left with the idiot. I would bet a wyvern tooth that he’s sweet on her.”

“Oh my, why haven’t I noticed this before? I think they’d be darling together!”

“Could we talk about something else? Anything really...please.”

“Oh no, I think this is exactly what we need to talk about. Don’t you agree, Katari?” Isabela was getting far too much enjoyment seeing the blush rising on Hall’s cheeks and the way he started to shift his weight in his seat in discomfort.

“Absolutely,” Katari said through a lopsided grin as he waved to Cabot to bring them another round. “Tell me, why don’t you just make a move on her? You’ve gone on plenty of missions together, her tent can’t be _that_ far from yours.”

“That would hardly be appropriate,” protested Hall.

Thornton finally spoke up, seeing as Cillian had stopped paying attention to their conversation and had turned to listen to the rest of them. “If you haven’t already noticed, he’s a shy one. Not sure if he’s ready to outgrow it yet, it’s a pity really.”

Isabela felt a rush of excitement, it was always fun to tease the innocent. “Shy? Does that mean you’ve never established your cannon? Dampened a Divine?” She fixed her eyes on Hall.

“This can’t be happening.” Hall crossed his arms on the table and burrowed his face into them, his ears burning red.

“Oh the fun I could have had with this one had I known before. Think of all the embarrassed blushes I’ve missed!”

“I thought it was pretty obvious. The whole living in seclusion bit and being intimidated by a woman that’s taken a vow of chastity kind of gave it away,” grumbled Thornton, not finding the subject as amusing as she did.

“That’s where you’re wrong. She didn’t. I’ve already asked her that one. Took a few days of prying, but she eventually cracked.”

Hall groaned as Cillian reached over and patted him on the shoulder. “Have you at least asked her to spend time with you, without us?"

“No,” came a muffled response.

“One must plant the seed before they can expect a harvest, it couldn’t hurt to ask” advised Cillian.

Everyone but Cillian and Hall laughed, even Thornton couldn’t help but chuckle at the terrible word choice their elven companion had used. Hall just burrowed himself deeper into his arms.

“Listen, sweet thing. She’d be lucky to have a man as kind as you interested in her and you both could use a bit of fun. Our lives are hard enough as is, we spend our time running around risking our lives for others, day in and day out, with only a bit of coin as a reward. There’s nothing wrong with trying to find comfort in someone else’s arms, or...sheets. If it’s the bed part you’re worried about, I could always teach you a thing or two.

“Teach him what? Is Hall feeling alright?”

Hall sat bolt upright at the sound of Belinda’s voice so quickly that he wobbled in his seat for a second. It seemed a few tankards of ale were enough to make him unsteady.

“Only how to wrestle, kitten. Don’t you worry about it, you know how archers always have trouble when it comes to fighting in close quarters,” Isabela said, giving Katari’s thigh a squeeze and inching her hand up as she mentioned close quarters. _I know who I’ll be wrestling with tonight._

“I do just fine, thanks,” exclaimed Thornton.

“Well you’ve got years of experience on _your_ side, he’s just a youngin’.”

“I could teach you how to properly wield a sword if you’d like, Hall. We could even start tomorrow. Just remember to wear your armor, you’ll probably need protection. It could be an exciting learning experience.”

“I guarantee you, kitten. He’d love you to show him how to handle a sword, as well as the proper way to sheathe it.”

That was all it took to send the rest of them into further laughter, while Halls face turned a lovely shade of red.

Perhaps he’ll be a little more careful the next time he asks everyone out for a drink.

  



End file.
